Estate services event comes to Wales
Cardiff played host to a HouseMark Estate Services event in July 2011. The event brought together the best of HouseMark’s regional Estate Services Clubs that meet on a regular basis in both the North and South of England, as well as high profile speakers from within Wales. The event itself was attended by over 30 delegates from both Local Authorities and Housing Associations from across Wales.
Keith Edwards, Director of CIH Cymru opened the event by outlining the Housing PACT Cymru and the key challenges facing those who deliver estate services within the communities across Wales. Keith was followed by John Drysdale, Director of TPAS Cymru, who spoke in detail about the key benefits on involving tenants and residents in the design of communities and in the delivery of estate services within those communities. Alan Crowder, HouseMark Associate closed the morning session by outlining the work done by HouseMarks Estate Services clubs.
Following lunch, delegates were able to hear from a range of good practice speakers. Nicola Wheeler commenced the afternoon session by detailing the works done by Neighbourhoods Green in partnership with landlords to improve the quality and accessibility of green spaces in communities across the UK. Nicola was followed by Andrew Needham from Landscape Planning who spoke about the tricky issues relating to tree management in common and private areas on housing estates. The final good practice speaker of the day was Piers Claughton, Senior Local Government Advisor for the RSPCA. Piers spoke to the group about the best ways to deal with the problems caused by irresponsible animal and pet ownership in communities and shared open spaces. The afternoon session concluded with round the table discussions on how delegates and their respective landlords dealt with the problems caused by the unusually bad weather last winter, ensuring that essential services continued to be delivered.
Martin Asquith, HouseMark Manager for Wales said ‘I’m delighted with the way the Wales Estate Services event went, we had some excellent speakers who shared their skills, knowledge and experience from across the UK with a new audience and generated some lively discussion amongst the delegates’. Alan Crowder commented ‘Following the event we have already taken enquiries from some of the attendees who are interested in joining our regular Estate Services club meetings’.
HouseMark members can obtain further information about joining HouseMark’s Estate Services club, the work it does and when it meets by contacting Julie Morton, either by e-mail, julie.morton@housemark.co.uk or by telephone 02476 460500 or by the clubs page on the HouseMark website, www.housemark.co.uk.